February 2013

The summer course "Molecules in space", which will be held at Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden from 25 June to 2 July 2013, aims to give participants a thorough introduction into the role of molecules in many astronomical environments such as

The 10th annual Astrobiology Graduate Conference (AbGradCon), an interdisciplinary conference organized by and for graduate students and early career scientists, will be held at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from June 10th - 14th, 2013. Pre- and early-career scientists (astronomers, biologists, chemists, educators, engineers, geologists, planetary scientists and social scientists) whose research addresses a topic relevant to astrobiology are encouraged submit for oral and / or poster presentations. Abstract submission for AbGradCon 2013 is open now, and closes March 1, 2013. The submission form can be found here: http://www.abgradcon.org/applicationform.html For more information and updates, visit www.abgradcon.org

To understand the origin of life, how life has persisted on the Earth for over 3.5 billion years and whether we might find it elsewhere, requires that we understand how life and molecules adapt to extreme environments. The 5th UK Astrobiology conference, supported by the UK Space Agency, will explore molecules and life in extremes and the implications for the search for extraterrestrial life.
The conference welcomes astronomers, biologists, chemists, physicists and other disciplines that intersect with astrobiology.

This event marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Astrobiology Society of Britain.

Within a matter of years, humanity will know for the first time the frequency of terrestrial planets in orbit around other stars. This knowledge will pave the way for joining research from astronomy, Earth science, and biology to understand the past, present, and future of the Earth within its larger context as one of many potentially habitable worlds throughout the galaxy. Such work seeks to understand the formation and fate of the Earth as well as predict where and when different bodies will be suitable for both simple and complex forms of life.

During the four-day symposium on April 29 to May 2, 2013, at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md., scientists from diverse fields will discuss the formation and long-term evolution of terrestrial bodies throughout the various phases of stellar and galactic evolution. A particular focus will be how the specific conditions and challenges for habitability on Earth extend to other bodies in the solar system and beyond. This symposium will include discussions about sites for galactic habitability that have not yet been given much attention. The existence of these overlooked environments may provide motivation for novel astronomical observations with existing and next generation ground and space-based observations.